The Missing Colton by Loreth Anne White

Author:Loreth Anne White
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

“We can’t outrun him,” Jagger said, watching the approaching dust trail. “So we need to outfox him.”

“How?”

Jagger checked the remaining rounds in Mia’s pistol. She watched him. “Ambush,” he said. “We use the rounds we’ve got left.” Jagger glanced up, scanning the interior of the Escalade, testosterone thumping through his blood. “We need something else we can use as a weapon or distraction.”

“Bangers,” Mia said suddenly

He shot her a fast look. “What?”

“I’ve got bear bangers—explosive cartridges to scare away bears—and emergency flares in my fishing gear.” She spun round in the passenger seat and reached for her fishing vest on the backseat. Scrambling through the pockets, she handed him first a small box containing six explosive cartridges, then a box with two emergency flares plus two pen-style launchers.

“You carry this stuff with you?”

“It’s always in my backcountry kit. I’m a nurse, Cole. I volunteered for Search and Rescue—I know what can go wrong.”

God, he could love this woman. Mind racing, Jagger studied the surrounding terrain. The river had at some time raged much higher than it was flowing now. The water had receded, leaving enough room along the alder-fringed banks to squeeze a car in and drive it along the bank behind the screen of trees.

On the left of their trail was a rocky outcrop covered with dry scrub. Higher, to their right, was another outcrop of basalt.

Quickly, Jagger put the Escalade in gear and drove right down to the river, making sure he left clear tracks in the dirt. He then turned the SUV in behind a fringe of alders and drove tightly along the bank behind the trees, then he gunned the Escalade back up a hillock of dry grass until he reached the rock outcrop he’d seen higher up. He pulled in behind it. The vehicle was now hidden from the approaching trail, yet facing it for a quick getaway.

“Okay, Mia, here’s the plan.” He spoke quickly, screwing an explosive bear banger cartridge onto one of the pen-style launchers she’d given him and a flare cartridge onto the other. “I’m counting on him following our tracks all the way down to the river. At first, he’s going to assume that we might have found a way across. He’ll slow down and stop until he sees our tracks going along the bank. That’s where we get him—when he stops. I want you to climb up this outcrop until you have a clear line of sight to the river, but use the rocks for cover. I’m going to cross over the trail and head down to that outcrop over there.” He pointed. “As soon as our guy reaches the bottom of those tracks by the water, that’s where we get him.”

“You...want to kill him?”

He handed her the loaded bear banger along with the spare cartridges. He kept the flares and the pistol.

“I want to stop him,” he said simply. “When he reaches the bottom, watch for my hand signal. When I raise my hand up high, fire that banger.

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